Heart's Desire
by Poesia-Raro
Summary: Trio? Duo? Abhijeet? Which one of these is your heart's desire? And how far will you go to get it? This is the story of how far people went to get their heart's desire... and what it cost.


**::/Heart's Desire/::**

**.**

Summary: This is not aimed at anyone in particular. It's just what I think an unfairly large portion of the CID fandom wants... or at least, what might FINALLY make them happy and not give them a cause to crib endlessly about different minor characters. Over and out.

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/\\/\\/\\

.

Silence.

Such deathly silence as none of them had been surrounded by before. At least, not when they were all together.

Such was this silence that the squeaky, creaking noise made by the rusted hinges of the door echoed all around the room, more like the opening music of a heavy metal song than an actual door that was opening slowly to reveal the dark outline of a man in the doorway, silhouetted against the sudden sunlight that streamed into the otherwise dark house. Everyone squinted reflexively, and a quiet voice spoke up as the man entered and shut the door behind him. "Why are you all sitting in the dark?"

"Here," said a girl's voice, and the room was suddenly illuminated once more, this time by the soft yellow light of a bulb. Tasha sighed as she stepped away from the switches, crossing the room to perch on the arm of Vivek's chair. "Looks like it won't work much longer."

"Great," muttered Rajat as he fell onto the threadbare sofa with a gentle creak of springs. Tarika, who was sitting on at the opposite end of the sofa with her legs draped over the arm, leaned back so she was lying down with the top of her head nestling against Rajat's leg. He patted her hair. "You OK, sis?"

Tarika, her eyes closed, let out a sound halfway between a snort and a sigh. "I wish." She felt a soft hand on her forehead, and knew whose it was even before she heard Manisha's anxious voice. "Oh, dear, I think you're getting a fever. Freddy, where's my medicine box?" she called over her shoulder, and Tarika rose slightly, propping herself up on her elbows. "No, I'm fine, really-"

There was a knock at the door. Everyone tensed at once, but a familiar female voice whispered from outside. "Guys, open up. It's us."

"Hang on," Kajal whispered back, tiptoeing quickly towards the door. She made sure to look through the peephole, and assuring herself that it was all right, opened the door just wide enough for Purvi and Vineet to enter. "What took you guys so long?" Sachin wanted to know as they came in and sat down wearily. Vineet shook his head, obviously too exhausted to speak, and Purvi laid a soothing hand on his arm as she spoke, her voice breathy and halting. "We had to run like mad... they almost caught us."

The effect was instantaneous.

"What?" Tarika demanded, jerking bolt upright and staring at her in horror.

"How?" Freddy exclaimed.

"When?" Tasha asked.

"Where?" Sachin enquired.

"We..." Vineet winced. "Actually... we tried to go find out what's happening in- in the bureau."

The room plunged into deathly silence once more. The air itself seemed to freeze as everyone stared at Vineet and Purvi, who averted their gazes uncomfortably. Then, all at once, Rajat let out a huge sigh, his shoulders slumping as his head hung between them. "Oh, you two. You couldn't stop yourselves, could you?"

"They're still our seniors," muttered Vineet, his voice faint, and Purvi hugged him tightly, leaning her head on his shoulder. Tasha gave the couple a sad, understanding smile. "I think I'd have done the same if it was me." Vivek nodded as she glanced at him, and Tarika looked miserably around the room before getting to her feet. "I think I'll go lie down for a while. I don't feel so good."

"Just call me if you need anything," Manisha told her as she passed, and Tarika gave her a faint smile before slipping into the room she shared with the other women and nudging the door shut behind her. Sitting on the bed, she stared blankly at the pattern of alternating light and shadow made by the sunlight that was filtering in through the small, broken window.

It had been a little over two months since they had all been terminated from- or as Vivek and Tasha liked to put it in a more blunt fashion, 'kicked out of' the CID. Till date, there was no concrete reason as to why there had been such a sudden, overwhelming downsizing. Hell, was it even called downsizing when there were only four people in the CID team now, inclusive of Dr. Salunkhe?

Tarika bit her lip. Thinking about Dr. Salunkhe was painful... though not nearly as painful as thinking about Him was.

_Don't even go there. No, don't you dare._

Even after the termination, however, they had all done fine for themselves for a few weeks... until _they _came.

She felt a chill run up her spine at the memory. The memory of how narrowly they had all escaped with their lives. She still had a scar on her shoulder to prove it- a knife wound. One that had been intended for her heart.

It was this way, desperately on the run with crazed followers of the puritan ways crying out for their blood, that they'd stumbled upon him.

"Oi, Brainy Smurf."

Speak of the devil.

Rocky raised his eyebrows at her as he strolled in and sat down beside her. "What's with you? You look like you've been forced to watch a series of vampire romance movies for hours."

Tarika shuddered. "Please. I would rather eat sand." She turned around in such a way that she sat facing him, and he narrowed his eyes. "The question is, what's eating _you?"_ he asked. She gave him a look, and he groaned loudly in exasperation. "Oh, puh-_lease!"_ Lying down on his stomach, he buried his face in his folded arms. "There! Better now?" he asked in a muffled voice, and she couldn't help laughing. "Shut up." She lay down beside him, on her side with her head propped up on one hand. "What wind blows you here, anyway?"

Rocky shrugged as he lifted his head to look at her, his hair more tousled than ever. "Just dropped by to see how you were all doing." He looked faintly troubled as he said it, however, and Tarika frowned as she sat up. "What's wrong?" she demanded. Rocky may, due to the worst decision of his life, be her greatest pain, but he had also been her greatest solace in the past two months, ever since he had helped all of them escape to safety. The run-down house they were all presently living in was in fact one of his old hideouts.

He looked uncertain, and Tarika scooted closer to him, her wariness increasing with every passing second. "I know there's something you're not telling me. Just spit it out!" Her voice raised to a nearly hysterical tone. "You can't protect me forever!"

No sooner had she said it than she regretted it, for Rocky's face fell faster than blinking and he hung his head, averting his eyes. "You're right," he mumbled. "All I can do is try."

"Hey..." Tarika tugged on his shirt sleeve, mentally kicking herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Rocky cut her off with an impatient shake of his head, and mutely held out his arms, still not looking at her. She moved forward and hugged him, feeling a lump rise in her throat. He seemed to sense it, for he tightened his hug and patted her hair. "Hey. It's gonna be okay."

"When?" she asked in a choked whisper, and Rocky sighed. "I don't know. But I have a feeling..." his voice acquired a slightly foreboding tone. "Something tells me this will all be over soon. Sooner than we think."

Tarika lifted her head, looking at him with questioning eyes. "What makes you say that?"

Her question was answered the next second by Tasha. The former sub-inspector's face was flushed and her eyes wide with excitement. "Sorry to interrupt, you guys, but you'll never guess who's here!"

Rocky and Tarika followed her out into the hall, and Tarika's face lit up like a thousand-mega-watt bulb as she saw someone she'd been longing to see ever since they had left. "Salunkhe sir!" she squealed in delight and ran to hug her ex-boss, who was grinning from ear to ear. Rajat's attention, however, was soon diverted by a pretty, curvy young woman with long wavy hair who ran inside and threw herself into his waiting arms. "You idiot," she said, glaring at him even though she couldn't stop herself smiling. "So much happened since I went out of town and you never even _told _me? I mean, seriously!"

"Gayatri-" Rajat started, but she had already caught sight of Tarika. "Ah, there you are!"

"H-hi, Gayatri," Tarika said, smiling weakly with an uncertain wave, and Gayatri narrowed her eyes at the forensic scientist. "Don't you dare 'hi, Gayatri' me, Tarika. Couldn't _you _have told me, at least? I thought you-"

"Hold up, everyone!" Rocky said, raising his voice. "I think Dr. Salunkhe has something he wants to tell you."

Everyone turned their attention to Dr. Salunkhe, who looked grim. "Enough, you lot. Enough living like fugitives when you've done nothing wrong. Especially not you, Purvi, and you know what I mean."

Purvi nodded sadly, and Vineet put a comforting arm around her. "What do you suggest we do, then?" Rajat asked, and Gayatri looked up at him with a steely determination in her large brown eyes. "You fight. We _all _fight."

Her words echoed around the room, and Freddy nodded decisively. "She's right." Everyone looked at him in surprise, and he frowned. "What? We should have done it long ago if you ask me!"

"Freddy, my friend," Dr. Salunkhe said, sounding amazed. "When did you get so wise?"

Manisha made an indignant noise. "He always was, Salunkhe sir... he just didn't get the opportunity to show it much." She smiled at Freddy, who grinned back at her. Vivek, Tasha, Sachin and Kajal all nodded in agreement. Just then, Tarika suddenly had a doubt. "But wait... how are we supposed to fight them on our own? Even if we get past the whole army by some miracle-"

Rocky grinned. "As it happens... I have a surprise for you guys," he said slyly, and Tarika's jaw dropped. "You kept that quiet!" she exclaimed, and Rocky rolled his eyes at her. "Well, duh, Tarika. That's why it's called a surprise." He checked his watch, and his face brightened. "Ah, it's time. Follow me, everyone!" he called, and everyone followed him out the back door, where there was a small yard. As they all came out of the house, they saw something approaching. Rajat did a double take. "Is that-"

"What on earth-" Kajal found herself at a loss for words.

"Here they come," Rocky said, grinning broadly and going forward as the vehicle slowed down. It was, believe it or not, a chariot. A real, live, honest-to-goodness war chariot. The only difference was that it was pulled along by a scooter-like contraption rather than horses, and as the chariot came to a halt everyone realised that it was actually a modified autorickshaw. A girl and a boy stood in the back, and another boy was driving. "Couldn't resist, could you, Annie?" Rocky called teasingly, and the girl laughed. "Nope!" she replied cheerfully, and the boy beside her smirked. "Rocky, Annie would have made us take the chariot even if we were going to the supermarket instead of to war."

"I resent that," scolded the girl called Annie, and Rocky frowned. "Wait, there are only three of you. Where's-"

"Me?" came a voice from the very back of the chariot, and Rocky's face split into a wide grin as a girl, younger than Annie, jumped down from the back of the chariot, her mop of messy hair bouncing as she did so. "Hi, mate!" she said happily, bounding over to Rocky, who beamed and patted her head. "Still wearing the same old glasses, I see, Sakhi," he laughed, and Sakhi gave him an exasperated look. "So is Mayur," she pointed out, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the boy who had been driving the chariot. He smiled sheepishly, pushing up his glasses with one finger, and the other boy and Annie got down from the chariot. The officers noticed that all of them were wearing the same shade of grey. They also wore amulets shaped like owls.

"OK, introductions," Rocky said, clapping his hands. "This fine young lady here-" he indicated Annie, who smiled and waved "-is Ananya, more commonly known as Annie. This little brat, of course, is Sakhi," Rocky said, giving Sakhi an affectionate prod in the shoulder, "and that young hero who was driving the chariot is Mayur." The bespectacled boy nodded with a shy smile. "And _that _young smart-mouth beside him is Arnav." The boy who had stood beside Ananya grinned and winked. He was fair with slightly spiky hair. Dr. Salunkhe suddenly beamed in recognition. "Wait, Arnav, I know you! Haven't we met before?"

"We sure have, sir!" Arnav affirmed, looking positively delighted. Before he could go on, however, Vivek gave a sudden exclamation. "Wait, what's that?"

Everyone followed his finger, looking upwards, and Arnav swore loudly as Ananya gasped and turned to face the others, dread shadowing her pretty face. "They are coming," she intoned.

In an instant, Tarika understood what it was that Rocky hadn't told her, for he wasted no time in leaping into action. "Mayur, take the chariot around front. Arnav, Sakhi, get everyone inside and unload the weapons. Annie-"

"I'm staying here," Ananya said grimly, and to the officers' amazement, she reached into the grey jacket she had on, unearthing a deadly-looking bronze sword that glinted in the sunlight- a glint matched by the one that flashed in her eyes. "Let's get this party started."

Arnav and Sakhi only just managed to get everyone into the house before the first gun began to fire from more than thirty feet up in the sky. A female figure, dressed entirely in black with most of her face covered by a helmet, seemed to be the leader of this troop- she was barking orders at her fellows as she rode on top of the glider, which was a thing of beauty in itself. It was basically a large hang-glider, but made of shiny chrome-plated metal and running on mechanisms akin to those of a helicopter.

"Wow," Sachin whispered in awe, gaping at it from the doorway. "That's _amazing_." His admiration was short-lived, however, as the next second a cannonball came crashing down, narrowly missing the chariot just as Mayur leaped into the driver's seat and drove around to the front of the house, full speed ahead. A second later, there was an almighty crash, and everyone ran to the hall to find that Mayur had driven the chariot right through the doorway, which now lay scattered around in splinters of wood. "Hurry up!" Arnav shouted, and he and Sakhi quickly unloaded the weapons from the back, handing them around.

Meanwhile, in the backyard, Ananya was simultaneously knocking cannonballs aside, using her sword like a cricket bat, and deflecting bullets with her bronze shield, which had an owl crest embossed on it. "Who _is _that female?" she demanded, glaring up at the girl in black, who was ordering the others to load the guns faster.

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea, Annie," Rocky snarled as he dragged a large contraption into view- it looked like an enormous ice cream scoop, but Ananya understood immediately what it was. "Quick! I'll cover you!" she said, and Rocky hurriedly lifted one of the cannonballs into the hollow at one end. As the other end rose, he ran towards the machine and flung himself with all his might at the free end. As anticipated, the cannonball went sailing into the air, and as it passed her, Ananya swung her sword with all her might, sending the ball zooming straight towards the glider. The shot went for a six- screams ripped through the air as with a deafening boom, the cannonball destroyed the glider's engine, sending the aircraft plummeting towards the ground.

"Come and face us on the ground, you sneaky cowards!" Ananya shouted, her hair rippling from the impact of the glider's fall.

"Don't start without us!" called Rajat's voice, and within a minute the backyard was a battlefield. The clash of bronze weapons, mingled with voices screaming some very creative obscenities, filled the air as the ex-officers and their supporters fought the puritan army. Within a short while, though, the visitors lay sprawled all around the backyard, nursing several injuries and groaning feebly. The girl in black, however, had mysteriously vanished, much to Ananya's fury.

Gayatri, who was remarkably unhurt though her clothes were bloodstained, pushed her hair out of her face as she swiftly slung on a quiver of arrows and picked up a bow. "Let's go."

"Think it's a good idea?" Purvi asked warily, and Manisha gave her a wry smile. "Well, we've come too far to step back now, haven't we, Purvi?"

Less than twenty minutes later, the citizens of the great city were treated to a highly unusual sight. Two young boys were driving a motor-controlled war chariot, with no less than six people standing in the back- a grungy-looking man with a pale scar on the left side of his face and a curly-haired woman whose lip had a small, bleeding cut. They were flanked by two girls in grey, who were both carrying bronze weapons. Behind them stood a petite woman bearing a bow and a quiver of arrows, next to a serious-faced man who was looking all around with a sharp gaze.

It was what was behind _them_, however, that was noteworthy.

Attached to the back of the chariot was an enormous metal machine, shaped like a hang-glider, upon which stood four men with four women in front of them. The whole procession was travelling, at quite a rate, along the street. It was quite clear to all who recognized at least a few of them as to where they were headed.

"Aha," said Ananya several minutes later. "We've arrived."

The officers' jaws nearly fell to the floor as they beheld the sight that greeted them. "What the-" Tasha sputtered.

"Is that-" Freddy was horrorstruck.

"Bloody hell!" Tarika exploded, and Vivek shook his head in disgust. "They'll never learn, will they?"

What had once been the much loved CID Bureau was no longer recognisable as such. It now looked more like a modernised palace than anything else, with the CID logo enclosed inside a large additional disc of gold, shaped like-

"A sun," Sakhi said, and groaned as the significance hit her. "Oh my _God!"_

"I beg to differ, little lady," Rocky said drily. "Not _your _God. _Theirs_." He pointed, and everyone looked in the indicated direction. Sure enough, there were troops patrolling all sides of the bureau. Most of them wore silver armour, though some wore gold. Several wore similarly coloured clothes as well.

"A word of advice," Gayatri spoke up, and everyone glanced at her. "Go for the ones in the gold. They're Abhijeet's followers."

"What about the ones in silver?" Rajat asked her, and she let out a small sigh. "They're the ones loyal to Pradyuman sir or Daya. I know for a fact that several of them are bound to this by their loyalty. They don't have a choice. It's either this or become an outlaw."

"Like me and my gang here," Sakhi put in helpfully, and Arnav shook his head warningly at her. "I wonder if Salunkhe sir's reached?" he asked, quickly changing the subject, and Mayur checked his watch. "I think he should have. He left before we did."

"Stop the chariot, boys," Rocky said suddenly, and Mayur and Arnav pulled the chariot to such an abrupt halt that everyone stumbled. Rajat himself nearly fell off the back, and Sakhi certainly would have if Tarika hadn't snatched hold of her arm at the last minute. "Easy!" Sachin called reprovingly, and the boys exchanged winces. "Sorry!" they replied in unison, and Ananya gestured frantically for them to keep quiet. "Shh!" she hissed. "They'll hear us before we get anywhere near the boundaries!"

"Uh, Annie?" Sakhi's voice was unnaturally high. "I don't think we need to worry about that anymore."

Sure enough, the soldiers had spotted them, and were heading towards the chariot at a considerable speed. "What do we do?" Arnav asked, looking back at the others, and Rocky gave him a look. "What we came to do, of course. You guys ready?"

"I think we always were," Tarika remarked, and Rocky grinned. "Then let's go get your rights back."

"Outlaws, to arms!" Ananya yelled, holding her sword aloft in front of her, and Arnav and Mayur took the chariot forward full speed ahead. Unnoticed by them, however, the beginning of the battle was being watched from above- to be precise, five floors above, from a grandly built balcony. A pair of thoughtful eyes was fixed on the carnage happening below, the owner's face betraying no emotion.

"Miriam?"

The girl turned, the light from inside the bureau illuminating her in such a way that she appeared to radiate a soft glow akin to that of the sunset. She wore a long top of rich pink silk, with black pants and boots. On top of that was golden armour, much more finely forged than those of the soldiers fighting below. Her hair was held back by a gold band, and she had a tattoo of a flaming sun on her wrist. "What is it, Nityashree?" she asked.

The other girl looked worried. Unlike Miriam, she wore no armour over her long purple chiffon top, though she did wear simple gold jewellery. She had on the same black pants, but wore sandals instead of boots. Rather than a gold band, there was a wreath of what looked like intricately twisted vines on her head, her waist-length hair hanging down her back. "They're calling you into the council room."

Miriam smiled, and Nityashree could detect a hint of wryness in it. "I'm coming," she said, and the two girls went down the hallway, stopping in front of a tinted-glass door. Opening it, they entered what had once been the main room of the CID bureau.

Inside what had once been ACP Pradyuman's cabin, now sat the new ACP. Flanking Him were three girls- one on His right side and two on His left. All of them wore the same outfit as Miriam, but the girl on the right stood out. In addition to her pink and black outfit and golden armour, she wore elaborate gold jewellery and a small but ornate gold tiara. Her hair was perfectly styled, soft curls falling down past her shoulders. She gave Miriam and Nityashree a smile before turning her attention back to Abhijeet, whose brow was furrowed. "Vidisha," He said.

The girl stepped forward at once, bowing elegantly. "Yes, my liege."

"How many are there?" Abhijeet enquired, and Vidisha raised her eyebrows at the other two girls, who were on Abhijeet's left side. One spoke up quickly. "There are four outlaws from our own ranks accompanying the exiled, my lord. There's also a lady none of us recognise, and..." she hesitated, glancing around at the other girls, and Abhijeet's voice grew hard. "Speak up, Afsana. Or is there something you _fear?"_

"No!" the girl called Afsana said a little too quickly, and shook her head, her face nervous. "I mean, no, sir."

Abhijeet slowly turned scrutinising eyes on her. "Good," He said in an unnervingly casual tone. "Because when you're with Me, to fear something is to doubt My power. Do you _doubt _My power, Afsana?"

"Never, lord," Afsana denied emphatically. "You are the all-powerful, the ultimate. You are the deliverance of our souls. I have served You faithfully and will always do so. How could I ever doubt You?"

Abhijeet laughed, the sound echoing all around the room. The girls shivered, blushing multiple shades of pink and red. "Listen to her! She proves herself My follower. You learned the art of flattery at My feet, young lady, and you do not disappoint Me."

Afsana blushed a brilliant scarlet, beaming with pleasure. "Thank You."

"Welcome," He said nonchalantly, and turned a sharp gaze on her. "And who is this person you hesitate to mention?"

The scarlet gave way to a frightened pallor, and Afsana bit her lip. "It's _him_," she pronounced finally. "The heretic who dares to bear Your holy face."

Abhijeet's eyes narrowed. "I see. Well, then..." He rose to His feet, the girls all snapping to attention at once. "Miriam, watch the battle from here and keep Me informed. Nityashree, tend to the wounded." He made a dismissing gesture, and the two girls bowed and left the room. Abhijeet looked at Vidisha and Afsana, on either side of him, and smiled. "Let justice be served."

The battle, meanwhile, was going on in full swing. The air was full of the clash of weapons, mingled with screams and yells. A scream more terrible than any of the rest, however, rose up all of a sudden, agony throbbing in the voice. _"Manisha!"_

"What?" Sakhi yelled, whirling around and staring in horror as Freddy fell to his knees, cradling Manisha in his lap. There was a large knife protruding from her chest, smack in the middle of her ribcage, and her face was drained of all colour. "F-Fre... ddy..." she stuttered, her breath catching with each syllable. "Freddy..."

From several yards away, Sakhi watched the world blur in the flood of tears that welled up in her eyes as Manisha breathed her last in Freddy's arms. His sobs, devastated, heartbroken sobs, could be heard all around the battlefield. The next minute, however, Freddy scrambled to his feet with a roar of unbridled fury, snatching up his sword. "Now you die!" he bellowed, launching himself in the path of Manisha's killer. It was a hard and fierce battle, but several minutes later, the killer lay on the ground, Freddy's sword in his stomach. Freddy himself was staggering towards Manisha's body, clutching at a bleeding wound in his chest. He fell to his knees beside her, his tears raining down upon her lifeless face. "Manisha, wait for me," he gasped, wincing in pain. "Wait... for me..."

"No," Ananya whispered, her own eyes filling with tears as Freddy's eyes closed and his body went limp. The next second, there was an explosion of golden light behind her, and she spun around with a scream of shock as Vivek and Tasha, who had both been momentarily lifted off their feet, went crashing to the ground and moved no more. "Wh-" was all she could manage to say, but she heard Mayur's disbelieving voice shout the rest of the sentence from some distance away. "What on earth is _He _doing here?"

Sure enough, everyone saw a chariot of pure gold that was literally glowing as it entered the battlefield. Miriam was driving, her face set and rigid, and Vidisha and Afsana stood on either side of Abhijeet. Vidisha carried a golden sword, and Afsana was leaning on a golden spear. Abhijeet, of course, bore His divine weapons- the golden bow that never missed and the magic quiver of arrows, forged from sunlight, that would never be emptied. To the onlookers, it seemed as though the sun itself was blazing in His eyes as he surveyed the battlefield. Indeed, His followers even paused in their fighting to bow to Him.

"My liege," Vidisha said. Her tone was strong, but Ananya and her siblings could detect her voice shaking slightly. "Declare Yourself, in all Your greatness!"

Abhijeet flashed a half-smile before speaking, His voice echoing all around the battlefield. "I am Abhijeet, the ever-victorious. I am Aditya, lord of the sun. I am Apollo, god of healing, music and prophecy. I am Horus, god of kings, lord of the sky. I am Adonis, the epitome of beauty. I am Jesse, the unattainable love. I am Manmadhan, the churner of hearts." He lifted His bow, fitting a golden arrow into it. "And I shall destroy every last soul who dares to defy Me."

Another voice, a female one, yelled back at him, and everyone turned to see a girl standing across the battlefield from Abhijeet. She was as mortal as they come, in clothes that would have made her fit right into any juvenile remand home, with her hair gathered up in a messy ponytail and her unevenly chopped bangs falling around her face. "We'll see about that!" Sakhi yelled, and brandished her sword. _"Viva desvalidos!" _she bellowed, and she and Ananya charged towards the opposing army.

Arnav and Mayur ran to help the others, and soon Mayur noticed a girl in golden armour shooting an arrow in Tarika's direction. "No!" he yelled, but before he could move, Tarika was shoved to the ground as a gasp rang in the air. She watched with horrified eyes as Rocky sank to the ground, three successive golden arrows lodged in his chest. The girl who had shot him smirked in triumph and raced off to join her fellows, throwing Tarika a glare over her shoulder.

"Listen to me- _listen_, girl!" Rocky wheezed, grabbing Tarika's wrist as she bent over him, her face agitated. "Stay with the kids, you hear me? Stay with them, they'll take care of you." She nodded, and he reached up, his hand slipping as he touched her face briefly. "I didn't want to tell you... but I love you, Brainy Smurf."

"I know," Tarika whispered, her voice cracking, and he gave her a final, faint smile before letting out a sharp, shuddering gasp, closing his eyes as the last remnants of life left him. Behind her, she could hear approaching footsteps as a shadow bearing a bow loomed over her. Before she could turn, however, she saw a glint of bronze, and Sakhi glowered through her choppy bangs at Abhijeet, standing firmly in His way as she spoke, her tone leaving no doubt that she meant business. "I will smite You if You touch her."

For a minute, Abhijeet merely stared at her, seemingly speechless that anyone would dare to defy Him so openly. The next minute, however, He stepped back, moving backwards until there was a significant space between Him and Sakhi. Then, as everyone stared transfixed at Him, He slowly began to glow, a golden light emanating from Him and growing steadily stronger and brighter until several people were forced to look away.

"His true form," gasped Miriam, sitting up straight in the chariot and looking at Sakhi with wide eyes. "This is not good. Not good at all."

Sakhi, however, merely squinted at Abhijeet, who stood in all the glory of His divine form. "Is that the best You can do?" she asked, and a smirk flitted across her face. "I confess myself... disappointed."

With that, she threw her sword away, snatched up a spear and flung it with all her might towards Him. His divine arrow, however, was too quick- sunbeams whirled around it as it zoomed forwards, slicing the spear neatly in half before striking Sakhi full-on in the heart.

In a daze, Ananya saw the younger girl's face take on a bemused, slightly curious expression as she looked down at the arrow, which still glowed with the destructive power of the sun. And then, slowly, heavily, Sakhi fell, her tangled ponytail swinging through the air as she did so.

Ananya leaped forward and caught her before she hit the ground, and Sakhi gave her a blank look. The next second, however, she began to smile, the smile soon turning into full-blown laughter. "Manmadhan's arrow!" she chortled, pointing feebly to the golden weapon that was protruding from her chest. "Get it, Annie? _Manmadhan's _arrow! Cupid's arrow, geddit? Hahaha!" she laughed. "But He failed!" she added emphatically, and raised herself a little. "EPIC FAIL!" she bellowed across the battlefield at Abhijeet, who was still glaring at her. Looking up at Ananya, Sakhi smiled weakly, just as Rocky had done before his end came. "Take care of everyone, OK, Annie? And keep fighting. Fight for what's right."

Purvi, who had been watching with wide, disbelieving eyes, suddenly heard a loud thump and a groan behind her. Dread struck through her heart as she whipped around to see her worst fear realised. Vineet lay before her, his eyes closed and his body unmoving. His shirt was ridden with bleeding bullet wounds. Looking up, Purvi saw a girl, dressed all in black, who carried a machine gun. Only the triumphant glint in her eyes was visible through the helmet she wore.

In that moment, Purvi saw, heard and knew nothing else. Snatching up a sword, she let out a bloodthirsty shriek, charging towards the girl, who threw aside her machine gun and drew a gleaming sword that was half-gold and half-silver. "Come to die, little lizard," she cackled, and the two girls leaped at each other, their blades meeting with a clang of metal. "Strange how you're so determined to kill me, and yet you don't even know who I am!" the girl in black remarked snidely as she made a swift thrust.

Purvi parried the attack easily. "I don't think so..." She made a sudden upward swipe, and the girl's helmet was lifted clean off her head to reveal her face. "...Zira!" Purvi finished, a grimly triumphant smirk spreading across her face.

Zira, for that was indeed who she was, snarled as her bi-metal sword flashed through the air. "What'll happen to your pathetic little friends once I've killed you?" she taunted, slicing at Purvi's legs. The latter jumped neatly over the sword, however, and lunged towards Zira, murder in her eyes. "You- will- never- touch- my- friends- again!" screamed Purvi.

Those were the last words she spoke. In a flash, Zira's sword drove through her stomach, and even as the blood pounded in her ears, with her last burst of strength she took a mighty swipe at Zira with the sword. It cut into the girl's side, burying itself there, and Zira shrieked in agony, crumpling to the ground. Purvi crawled over to Vineet's body, lying on his chest as tears streamed from her eyes. "I'm... sorry," she whispered, her voice shaking. "V-Vineet..."

No sooner had Purvi's last breath left her than a deafening voice ripped through the air, above the clashes of the weapons, above all the other screams. _"Enough!"_

Every single warrior in the courtyard froze, turning towards the source of the voice. Many looked confused, but Mayur and Arnav's jaws dropped as Gayatri strode into view and stopped in front of Abhijeet, a little distance away from where Sakhi's body lay. Silently, her whole body trembling with the anger that blazed in her large dark eyes, she lifted her bow, aiming the arrow at Abhijeet. The shine of the silver seemed to reflect off her- or so it seemed, until everyone realised, to their shock, that it was Gayatri who was glowing silver.

No one, however, was more shocked than Abhijeet Himself. "No way," He breathed, staring at Gayatri, whose deadly gaze was fixed on Him even though He was still in His true form. "Way, I'm afraid." Her voice rose, echoing around the battlefield just as Abhijeet's had a while previously. "I am Gayatri, the mother goddess. I am Chandrani, lady of the moon. I am Artemis, goddess of the hunt. I am Isis, goddess of magic. I am Diana, patron of maidens. I am Ginevra, the undying love. I am Mitravinda, the possessor of friends." She gave Abhijeet a cold smile. "And so we finally meet, brother dear."

The effect was instantaneous.

"Wait, what?" Ananya blurted out, jumping to her feet and staring from Gayatri to Abhijeet.

"Gayatri...?" Rajat said faintly, hardly daring to believe it.

_"Artemis?"_ Mayur and Arnav exclaimed in unison.

Abhijeet was quick to get over His momentary shock, however, and glared at Gayatri, the fire of the sun visible in His eyes as He lifted His bow. In her eyes, reflected back at Him, was the brilliance of the moon as she aimed her divine silver arrow at Him.

"Not good," Miriam murmured again, turning pale as she glanced helplessly at Vidisha and Afsana, who were goggling at the gods.

Simultaneously, Abhijeet's arrow lurched forward, the sunbeams rippling around it, and from the other side, Gayatri's arrow ripped through the air, glowing with moonlight. Both collided in mid-air, resulting in a burst of rays, mingled gold and silver. This performance was repeated for several more arrows until Abhijeet growled in annoyance and lowered His bow. Pushing back His cuff, He removed the gold bracelet He had been wearing. It was an ornate one with lines of runes carved around it. Several of the warriors looked envious- until he slipped it off and flung it at Gayatri's feet. The ground opened up where the bracelet fell, revealing the endless depths of a black abyss of darkness.

"Oh no," Ananya murmured in terror, clutching desperately at Mayur's and Arnav's hands. "Oh _no!"_

Before Gayatri could get lost in the darkness of the pit, however, she felt a hand seizing hers. Looking up, she met Rajat's pain-filled eyes. He knelt at the edge of the pit, holding her up with all his might. Tears filled her own eyes, and he smiled slightly. "I didn't know goddesses could cry."

Around them, the battle had come to a standstill. Everyone was watching Rajat and Gayatri with bated breath. Arnav and Mayur, on either side of Ananya, were holding her hands as though their lives depended on it.

"Let me go." Though Gayatri's voice was soft, every single person on the battlefield could hear her clearly. "Please, Rajat. You can't save me."

Rajat shook his head, determination ringing in his firm tone. "I'm not letting you leave me."

As he spoke, the ground began to slide and crumble beneath him, and tears escaped the corners of Gayatri's eyes, sliding down into her hair. "As long as we're together," she whispered, and before anyone realised it, both of them had vanished into the infinite depths of the pit of darkness, the ground closing up after them as quickly as it had opened.

For a full minute, there was silence all around. Then a voice, raucous with triumph, shattered the quiet. "Destroy the outlaws!" Zira crowed, stumbling through the crowd. Her side was bandaged, and she was clutching the still-bleeding wound. Her fellows took up the cry, and Ananya glared straight at Abhijeet. "So be it, lord of the sun," she said in ringing tones. "You may do as Your followers ask. But get one thing straight." Her voice grew stronger, and she stepped forward, stamping her foot. "Come what may, we will _never _bow to You!"

She yelled the last words. Abhijeet's eyes flashed dangerously, and He reached over His shoulder for an arrow.

"Wait, Abhijeet!"

The golden army's jaws nearly fell to the floor, and everyone looked around to see who had spoken. Arnav let out a small sob as he beheld the speaker. It was none other than Pradyuman, who had once borne the title of ACP. He looked as though he had aged twenty years in the past few hours. As he looked towards them, Ananya could see the glisten of tears in his eyes. "Spare them."

There was a murmur of disagreement from all around, and Zira was speechless with fury. "Sir-"

He cut her off, holding up his hand. "There's been enough bloodshed, enough loss here to last all of us a lifetime. They've already lost their friends, not to mention their sister." He shook his head, his aged face laden with sorrow. "Let them go, Abhijeet. You're a god. A protector, not a destroyer. Show them mercy."

"Mercy?" Arnav shouted, coming forward. "Sir, we don't need anyone's mercy! And I mean _anyone's!"_ His face was tear-streaked, but he stood his ground bravely. "Go ahead, kill us too!" he yelled. "Killing all our friends wasn't enough, was it?" He looked at Abhijeet, who was frowning at him. "You killed our sister, so go ahead! Kill us too!"

"That's it," snarled the girl from the golden army who had killed Rocky, and with a flash of gold she shot an arrow at Arnav. Everyone was in for a shock, though- rather than piercing him, the arrow bounced off Arnav's chest and clattered uselessly to the ground. Several people gasped, including the girl herself. "How-" she sputtered.

"Enough of this!" a new voice bellowed, and the crowd parted to let Daya through. He, too, looked devastated, his face more weary than anyone had ever seen it. "Just stop it. Stop it all. Let them go." He swallowed, composing himself with difficulty. "We've lost too much now to lose anything more. Please, just... enough. Enough already."

Mayur's eyes were full of tears as he looked at Daya, and Zira, scowling darkly, bowed to the senior inspector. "Your wish is my command, mighty one. Let the dogs go!" she barked to her warriors, most of whom looked put out. "But..." she paused, and a cold smirk stretched her mouth. "Just to make sure they behave themselves..." She pointed to Mayur. "Take him!"

"No!" Ananya and Arnav howled, grabbing Mayur, but they were, of course, hopelessly outnumbered. "Mayur!" Ananya screamed, kicking and flailing as Mayur was dragged away by the silver-clad soldiers. _"Mayur!" _Arnav yelled.

"Don't worry!" Daya called to them, though his voice seemed on the verge of breaking. "I'll take care of him!"

"Don't let them hurt him!" Arnav cried, and Ananya suddenly realised something. "Wait a second... where's Tarika?" she demanded, and there was a great flurry of movement as the crowd parted to reveal two girls in golden armour, who were dragging Tarika along. At first glance, it seemed as though she was dead as well. When they flung her to the ground in disgust, however, she stirred and raised herself slowly. She was badly bruised, dark patches blooming on her skin. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face tear-stained.

"Go get her," Abhijeet ordered, and Miriam and Afsana came forward, their faces sad as they looked at Tarika. "W-wait," Tarika said shakily, and got to her feet, making her way around the corpses that lay around the courtyard until she found the one she was looking for. Sinking to her knees, she sobbed her heart out, her tears falling thick and fast on Dr. Salunkhe's dirty suit. "I'm sorry, sir," she said, her voice sounding like she was five years old. "If I could... I'd die if it meant you could come back. If only I could."

"Well, why can't she?" muttered one of the girls who had dragged her, and Ananya, through her tears, shot the girl a murderous glare. "Because..." she said, her voice laced with venom. "Because Rocky died to save her."

There were exclamations all around, and Arnav glowered, even more viciously than Ananya, at the girl who had attempted to shoot him. "Just like Salunkhe sir died to save me."

"And Vivek and Tasha..." Ananya's voice broke, and she bit her lip, screwing her eyes shut tight in an effort to pull herself together. "Vivek and Tasha took the blast of a divine arrow to save me. And you know what?" She raised her head, her eyes blazing. "They didn't die in vain. Neither did Purvi, Vineet, Sachin, Kajal..." Her voice shook again. "Freddy sir... Manisha ma'am... and- and Sakhi."

At the sound of Sakhi's name, Tarika turned, rose to her feet, and gave Dr. Salunkhe's corpse a last, tearful look before walking over to where Sakhi's corpse still lay. The divine arrow was no longer in her chest, and apart from the dark blood that stained the front of her grey plaid shirt, she could have been sleeping. Tarika knelt down, brushing her hand gently across the girl's head. "I'm sorry, little warrior. I never wanted you to die for me." She brushed a tear away from the corner of her eye, and smiled sadly. "But don't worry. Rocky'll take care of you. Goodbye." She patted Sakhi's cold cheek and got up, wiping her tears away as her face took on a resolute expression.

"I'm ready," she said, her voice as calm and neutral as ever, and Miriam and Afsana stepped forward, took each of her hands and led her silently away, towards Abhijeet. As they went, however, Tarika glanced back over her shoulder, and tears welled up once more in her eyes. She hung her head, letting them fall unchecked, and went quietly with Abhijeet, who was maintaining a tight hold on her hand. Daya, who had one arm around Mayur, nodded miserably to Ananya and Arnav, and Mayur gave them a sad wave as he was led away.

The army, gold followed by silver, went next, filing mutely back into the CID bureau. Pradyuman, when he paused at the entrance and looked back at the courtyard-which would have served better as a graveyard under the circumstances- saw Ananya standing among the corpses, her sword in one hand and Arnav by her side. With one forceful downward thrust, Ananya drove the tip of the blade deep into the ground, so that the hilt pointed upwards. She knelt before it, her body trembling as Arnav sank down beside her, his head on her shoulder.

Pradyuman felt moisture pricking at his eyes as he understood what Ananya was telling everyone through her gesture. The ones they had lost might be gone, but their memory, the memory of what they had all been through, would remain. The sword in the middle of the courtyard would remind everyone, each day, each minute, each second.

Until the very

**END.**

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A/N: There. I did it. I hope everything is clear. If you didn't understand the more fantasical details, chuck them. The bottomline of the story is clear enough- the fandom (at least, a large majority) finally gets its heart's desire, which is for CID to be about no one but 'Trio', 'Duo' and of course Abhijeet. Tarika's thrown in too for good measure.

Sakhi's battle cry, _Viva desvalidos_, means 'Long live underdogs'.

A lot of lines, ideas and scenes have been inspired by _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows._

A lot of concepts have been taken from the Percy Jackson series.

No, Tarika was not in love with Rocky, it was completely one-sided on his part. No, they were not together before he died, they were just friends. Yes, she ends up with Abhijeet in the end.

By the way, Rajat and Gayatri are not dead. They are merely trapped in the abyss of darkness. With no way out. Because, you see, since Gayatri is a goddess, she and Abhijeet are kind of like soul-siblings. Meaning, if one of them dies, the other will as well. So Abhijeet can't kill her because it means killing himself. This concept was taken from the link of the twins Prince Nuada and Princess Nuala from the movie _Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. _

Any other doubts, please feel free to PM me. Don't make the review section a debate forum. I would like everyone to live in peace.

This is also likely to be either my last story or one of my last stories. Once again, I had no intention, at any point, to hurt or offend anyone. This story was merely what I think people would like. If you didn't, sorry. You probably don't fall under the category of people this is intended for.

Thank you all for everything.


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